I will be documenting our experiences, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to preserve this time at home together. Although the world is a very scare place at the moment, I want to be intentional about our days at home together and provide my children with the story of what it was we lived through. Day One for us was Monday, March 16th (I’m counting down starting with the first day our regular schedules were disrupted) — the first day the girls didn’t report to school.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Despite the major disruption in our lives in the previous few days, Wednesday felt like the first day I was in complete control. Orangetheory had closed a few days prior, but I had been working out in the office of my basement, in an attempt to keep things as normal as possible. When I arrived at the office on Wednesday morning — at 5:05 a.m. — there was a sign on the basement door informing us that the gym overnight. I cried in the lobby of my building. Not only had the last thread of normalcy unraveled, but I was hours early for work, and unable to shower or get ready. I put on some makeup, copious amounts of dry shampoo, and a sweatshirt with my dress pants. I drove to Starbucks, where tables and chairs were stacked to prevent you from sitting down. I worked just over five hours before Josh and my mom both called to say that Polly had taken a turn for the worse.
We’ve been battling an ear infection in both ears for at least the past six weeks. Since we have a mouthful of teeth coming in and have had a runny nose since the New Year, it’s hard to say when the symptoms first arrived. When she stopped sleeping back in February, I took her to the pediatrician’s office where we found one mild ear infection and one bulging ear drum. After two weeks of Augmentin, we returned to find no progress and a second antibiotic regimen in Omnicef. We were supposed to have an ear check on Tuesday of this week (as a part of our 18 month checkup), but our pediatrician’s office cancelled all well appointments for babies over 12 months and began seeing emergency patients in the parking lot.
I met my mom in Inverness at 10 o’clock on Wednesday and had the most surreal doctor’s experience of my entire life. There was a triage tent outside, I did all paperwork from the parking lot, every staff member was in scrubs, gloves, and masks, and the first shot of Rocephin was administered in my car. This antibiotic shot is slow and painful, but we were grasping at straws at this point.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon playing outside and snuggling on the couch — with the understanding that I would return to the office on Monday morning for a three day work week.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Our second outdoor pediatrician appointment went almost exactly like the first. Polly didn’t really know what was coming until the nurse approached our car. I had to hold her down for the shot and it was miserable. She sobbed most of the way home and I’ll have a permanent cramp in my shoulder, from attempting to hold her hand while driving. The doctor told us we had to return for a third shot and let me know that if this didn’t work, we would be looking at surgery. Isn’t it strange to consider tubes after your very first ear infection? Also? We can’t actually have tubes right now, since hospitals aren’t scheduling elective procedures. Polly would be facing months of antibiotic treatment that would do nothing more than keep her infection from worsening — hopefully.
I didn’t get a single email from work. While this was a welcomed peace among our crazy day, it is stressing me out that I might have any real work to do, while working from home. My boss reassured me so well on Wednesday morning (as I sobbed in his office about Polly and the unknown), but getting paid to be “on call” feels like a scary place to spend much time. Instead of worrying, we binge watched Project Runway and made pancakes and bacon for dinner.
Friday, March 20, 2020
I was really dreading this day. The previous two days of shots were so awful and I knew she would be much more aware today. I was also terrified that the doctor would see zero progress in her ears and that we would face months of unnecessary and unhelpful treatment. I’m not sure if long term infection could cause hearing loss, but this was at the top of my worry list for the day.
I attempted my first at-home OTF workout this morning and it went much better than I thought! I’m planning to break my class up by doing the strength portion in the mornings and going for an outdoor run in the afternoons. It might not be quite as effective as a studio workout with a coach, but I’m trying to at least maintain my fitness level until we can workout together again.
Jennifer and I have been texting non-stop since mid-week, last week. It’s nice to bounce your worries and fears off of one another and since we can’t actually hang out in person, it’s been the closest thing to a lunch date I’ve had all week. Polly and I are missing Saylor this week (Vera & Kallahan, too!) — it’s so weird not to see the little people that you take for granted.
Today’s pediatrician was both the worst and the best. Polly knew immediately why we were there and panicked every time someone in scrubs approached. It took both the nurse and I to hold her down in the front seat of my car and I thought she would never calm down after they gave her the final shot. Our pediatrician came out to the parking lot to take a look in both ears (isn’t that the weirdest thing to read?!) and we were thrilled to find her left ear was completely clear and her right ear was only mildly irritated. Dr. Darby felt confident that this third shot would eliminate any remaining infection, but we’re to watch for a spike in fever or disruption in her sleep schedule for the next few weeks.
Our funnies for the day include: Polly found our bedroom door slightly ajar and interrupted her daddy’s video conference call with a colleague — she was obviously a very big hit. She brought me (what I thought was a dead) bug and deposited it in my hand, where it immediately crawled up my arm?! She is afraid of nothing and regularly picks bugs up off the ground outside. She has been learning to jump with both feet and decided to brave jumping off the fireplace hearth this afternoon. She promptly landed face first in the living room floor and immediately started laughing. Now jumping from the fireplace (successfully, after that first attempt) is her new favorite thing.
We received an email today that our offices are officially closed. They are asking anyone who can reasonable perform their job from home, to do so. I took sick days for the past few days at home, so Monday will bring a new normal of trying to keep my attorneys and clients on track in the coming weeks. The state also announced that all students will be exempt from state exams this year, leading me to believe our students will not return this calendar year. I’m starting to see that our plans for a summer vacation, dance competitions, and baton recitals are likely on hold for a very long time.
